Gone nuts trying to figure out how healthy you actually are? Has the question ‘Is my health up to scratch’ been pinning you quite often. Don’t fret, you have stopped here for a good reason. What does health mean? Pretty sure, it means different things to different people at different situations. When I say ‘I am really worried about my friend’s health’, I am referring to his/her physical health- pretty straight forward. On the other hand, if I say ‘I have a lot to put up in these coming days, hope my health stays alright’ I am referring to mental health.
Most people when asked about health talk about physical health. Physical health contains physical body and other physical entities. Physical health has been the basis for many nutritional drives that have swept the industrialized world. For humans, physical health means a good body health. And a good body health comes from regular exercise, good nutrition and adequate rest.
So now the question arises- ‘Is your health up to scratch’? Here’s how you can keep in check…
You perhaps have a fairly lucid idea of your health. Physical health means fitness in reality. Knowing the specifics can help you set realistic fitness goals, monitor your progress and maintain your motivation. Once you know where you are starting from, you can plan where you want to go. And it’s easier than you think.
BMI (Body Mass Index):
Measure you BMI. A healthy BMI is usually between 18.5 and 21. Anything above means an increased risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and other weight-related diseases. It gives you a loose sense of what your wait should be. However, it doesn’t factor out what a person’s weight is made up of ( Fat or Muscles).
LBM (Lean Body Mass):
This is more likely to tell you how many pounds of your body is made up of lean tissue and how many of them are made of fat. It access the quality of your weight.
Waist to height ratio:
This ratio is determined by dividing your waist circumference by your height. Ratios of 0.5 and greater are indicative of intra-abdominal fat and have a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Clothes Fit/How you feel? :
You might notice your clothes, all of a sudden are starting to fit different indicating a change in your weight. Ask yourselves! Are you active? Can u run and walk at a fast pace for a longer period of time? Do you feel strong? If you feel good about yourselves, you probably are. Do you look fit? Do you look healthy?
Heart Rate:
Measure your heart rate. A healthy heart should be beating about 60-100 times a minute. A healthy heart should have 60-80 beats minutes. Over 80 simply means not healthy, and you probably need some exercise.
Now coming to mental health-the second aspect of being healthy. Mental health refers to cognitive and emotional well-being. Mental health is a state of being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities and can cope up with the normal stresses of life. It’s perhaps easier to talk about mental illness. But you must agree that mental health is the absence of mental illness. For some, this might not be enough. Mental health is more than this. It includes the ability to enjoy life, the ability to bounce back from adversity, the ability to achieve balance, the ability to be flexible and adapt and self-actualization.
Feedback is vital on any health and fitness journey. In fact, it is one of the most important components of long-term motivation. The number you see when you step on a scale- is kind of like a feedback. It provides the objective way of seeing what you are doing, lets you know if you are right- which is a huge motivation.
But ask yourselves! What are your ‘real goals’ after knowing where you are at? What do you want, not, what do you want from me or someone, but, what do you want from you, your body, your time, your effort. Don’t waste time. I tell you staying fit is indeed important for a long, healthy life.
Even if you think you are fit, keep assessing. I have had lots of friends who do various things to stay fit when they already are. When asked about it, they say they need to assess their fitness. So keep doing, staying fit should become a pleasure of your life, not a trauma.
